Both of Thursday’s Wimbledon women’s semifinals were halted by stoppages in their first sets, due to spectators being taken ill in the stands.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had saved two break points to force deuce against Amanda Anisimova, the No 13 seed, with the scoreline at 2-3 in the first set when play first came to a halt on Centre Court.
A spectator was seen to be in need of assistance, and Sabalenka responded by bringing a bottle of water and an ice pack to the section of the crowd in the East Stand, where the spectator was sitting, while stewards rushed to provide umbrellas for the member of the crowd. Centre Court applauded the No 1 seed for her quick reaction.
Umpire Damien Dumusois instructed both players to take a seat courtside while the unwell spectator was tended to before the players took back to the court following a six-minute stoppage.
A similar incident occurred during Iga Świątek’s semifinal against Belinda Bencic, with the five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 leading 3-0. Play was again paused for several minutes, with the players alternating between shadow swings in the sun and standing in the shade to stay ready for action.
Both Wimbledon women’s semifinals halted due to unwell supporters on Centre Court
